maybee



- 2 Smets-Sheet 1. M. A. MAYBEE'.

Waiting-Machine.

N0..224,2o1.Y Patented Fell3,1880'.Y

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

M. ADDIE MAYBEnbr sYnAcnsnNnw YORK, AssIeNoR or ONE-HALF 0F HER RIGHT To wILLIAiitDUFFUs, or sAME PLAGE.

PLAITINe-MACVHINE. a

vSPECIFICA'ITIQNv forming part of Letters` Patent No. 224,201, dated February 3, 1880.

f Application ined May s1', 1879. f. V

To all whom t may concern f Be itknown that I, M. ADDIE MAYBEE, of Syracuse, in .the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Plaiting-Machines; and I declare the following to be a .full,\clear, and exact description of the same, so as to enable any person skilled in Vthe artto which it appertains to make and use the same. i Y This invention relates to that class of plaiting-machines in which the. plaiting-grate is arranged to be automatically moved under a vertically reciprocating v knife `byactuating mechanism, and is particularly designed as an improvement upon the machinedescribed and claimed inl Letters Patent No. 207,127, granted to me August 20, 1878. l

In the machine covered by the aforesaid patent a plaiting-grate was provided having ar ratchet upon its side operated by a-pawl connected to the knife. owing to the limited range of the travel 'of the plaiting-grate, it was necessary to withdraw the grate from the frame at the point where it ceased feeding and to replace it on 'the other side at the commencement of the feed. This necessarily impaired the utility of the machine and involved a considerable .expenditure of time and labor. in removing the-work and resetting'the machine. To overcome this defect I providean endless plaiting-grate actuated by suitable mechanism to feed continuously.. I also operate the knife by means cfa crank and pitman,in stead of the adjusting handle shown in my former patent.

I have also further improved the device by providing a steaming-trough, into which the folds of the cloth are pressed by the knife in its downward movement. This trough is connected` to a water-reservoir located over a spirit-lamp, which is also employed to heat the ironer. A tube leading from the reservoir conveys a jet of steam, which sufficiently moistens the fabric to remove the. starch and stiff'- ness therein, while the heated ironer 4thoroughly dries and presses the folds as they are brought in contact therewith by the movement of the grate. The feed is adjusted by means 5o of the detachably-operating pawl and feedl'n this lconstruction,

link attachedto the knife-crank, and the'depth of plait is varied by lengthening or shortenin g the-stroke of the knife.

For amorespeciflc description of my improvements, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciyn'cation,l like letters indicating corresponding parts, in whichv `Figure l is a side elevation, showing external construction and connection of the parts; Fig. 2, longitudinal vertical section, showing internal arrangement and endless grate; Fig. 3, Vend view, showing the knife and crank and planing-grate; Figs. 4- and 5,v cross-sections at opposite ends, showing ironer, lamp, reservoir, and trough.

' VThe letter A represents the frame, made of suitable material, preferably of metal, and constructedf as shown in Fig. l, having horizontally-extended projections at each end, forming supports for the journals ofthe rotating carriers B. Two guide-standards, G, connected andbraced at their upper ends, P,

form supports and guides for the vertical reciprocating knife Q, Fig. 3, Sheet 2. Keyed to the journal of the rear carrier, B, is a spurwheel, c, which is engaged by a pam-hook, I, detachably connected to the limb J, which is pivoted to a lilik, N, or directly to the frame ofthe machine. A journal, L,passes through the link and frame, provided 'on opposite ends with cranks D D, and, with an eccentric for operating the link, is employed to actuate the machine by means of a hand-crank, M, Fig. 3. The 4connectingrodsV o 0,' attached to the cranks D D and to the cross-bar P, impart a reciprocating motion to the knife Q on the uprightsGGwhen the hand-crank M is turned, w-hile the pawl-hook l is operated bythe link to engage the spur-wheel c, causing a forward movementof the endless grate F, which passes aroundthe carriers IB` Boon exible side pieces, the Aneedle-bars of the grate F being permanently secured to the iiexible side pieces, as in my former patent.

The Vfeed is adjusted to plait in clusters, or to skip,7 as it is termed, by making the limb J long enough to lengthen or shorten the pawlhook I, which is accomplished by detaching the pawl and raising vor lowering it, and se- IOO curing it at the desired point on the limb J by a spring-key or other fastener. The depth of the plait is varied by the set-screw R, which bears against the shank of the knife, in the central vertical guide of the cross bar P, through which the knife-shank passes.

The ironer S, shown at Fig. 2, is held up against the plaiting-grate on a frame, Z, resting on spirals X X, Figs. 2` and 4, or it may rest directly on the spirals XX. The frame Z is constructed with wedges c o and side pieces, y, Fig. 4, which allow the same to be dropped down to receive the ironer S. In this construction it is necessary to provide a longiludinal slot in the frame A (shown in Fig. l) of sufficient width for the ironer to pass through.

Upon a platform within the frame a spiritlamp, T, constructed as shown at Fig. 2, and

having two burners, is secured. One of theburners is directly under and heats the ironer S. 'llie other heats the reservoir u, which is provided with tubes communicating with the trough W, Figs. 2 and 5. The trough W is located directly under the knife Q, and the folds of the fabric are pushed between the needle-bars, by theknife, into the trough, where they receivejets of steam from the steamer u, which moistens the fabric, removing the stiii'- ness, while the ironer S presses and dries the same as the folds are carried along by the grate.

It will be observed that an apron can be attached to the machine next to the ironer to carry the finished work clear of the plaitinggrate, and that the operation of plaiting is greatly facilitated thereby.

A gravity-stop, 7.', Fig. 1, pivoted on the fralne, prevents back motion of the spur-wheel and carriers.

It will be observed that suitable gages can be secured to the frame for securing uniformity in narrow work, and that when the various parts are constructed of metal or other suitable material the machine is strong, compact, and durable, and well adapted for the purpose intended.

l am aware that planing-machines have been .constructed with two endless aprons geared to move in unison, consisting of jointed sections provided on their contiguous surfaces with undercut blades which mesh in the intervening folds ofthe cloth and thus form the plait, being' particularly adapted to what is termed bok-plaiting.7 My invention differs from this construction in that the side pieces of the endless grate are made of iiexible material, and the needle-bars inserted so as to allow a reciprocating knife to push the folds of the fabric between the bars of the grate. I do not therefore claim, broadly, an endless grate, excepting when combined with a reciprocating plaiting-knife and suitable mechanism, as described above.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In combination with the reciprocating knife Q, the endless plaiting-grate F, actuated by suitable mechanism, substantially as herein described and for the purposes set forth.

2. The endless plaiting-grate F, in combination with the ironer S, sustained and operated as herein specified and set forth.

3. The endless plaiting-grate F, in combination with the knife Q and steamingtrough W, substantially as herein specified and set forth.

4. The endless plaiting-grate F, in combination with the steaming-trough W, reservoir u, and ironer S, as herein specified and set forth.

5. The endless plaiting-grate F, in combination with the knife Q, steaming-trough W, ironer S, and lamp T, provided with burners for heating reservoir u, and ironer S, substantially as described and set forth.

rlhe endless plaiting-grate F, supported on the carriers B B in the frame A, in combination with the pawl I, detachably connected to the limb J on the link N, and the spurwheels C, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

7. The endless plaiting-grate F, supported on the carriers B B in the frame A, in combination with the vertically-reciprocating knife Q, link N, operated by an eccentric on the journal L, detachable pawl I, and spur-wheel c, provided with a gravity-stop, k, as hereinset forth and specified. 8. The knife Q, provided with a cylindrical stem, H, passing through a central guide on the cross-head P, and retained at any point of its stroke by a setscrew, R, in combination with the cross-head P and endless plaitinggrate F, substantially as and as specified.

9. The ironer-frame Z, provided with the side pieces, y, and wedges e o, in combination with the spirals X X, substantially as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of March, A. D. 1879.

M. ADDIE MAYBEE.

Witnesses:

HoMER WESTON, J. W. WHIT'rIE.

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